quote:I have a fan controller. Love it. I'm just having a bit of a tough time getting the right fans for the top of the case above the radiator.

Since the fans are laying horizontally, you will want a double ball bearing fan. Are your current fans sleeve bearing? Those have a shorter lifespan, especially when horizontal (and they are notorious for noise beyond just air). It's really bad in high-RPM fans like Yate Loons, or Slipstreams.

Since these are radiator fans, you should really make the investment in Gentle Typhoons. LINK They might be cheaper elsewhere, but I'm just providing the link to show you what to look for.

They exist in higher and lower RPM models as well. 1850rpm is the most common, and the only noise you will hear is air, and how much air you want to hear is up to you. I have 5 of them, plus 5 coolermaster LED fans for various case cooling, and I still think my pump is louder than those. And even with all of those at full power, I can hear my HDD working. But overall, my computer is quiet considering the amount of fans and the high powered pump.

Of course, there are other high quality, durable quiet fans out there, but I the Gentle Typhoons are the best with which I've had personal experience.

I can hear my case fans but they aren't nearly as loud as my hyper 212 CPU fan when the temps rise during gaming. I always game with a head set on though cause I don't have speakers so it doesn't bother me.

loudest damn thing in my case. gonna find something quieter for the new build. speaking of the new build...

im thinking of going with a "bridge" build this time around. a bridge to what you ask? to nowhere of course. ok really a bridge to DDR4. i found a i3 sitting in a box in my house, dunno where from but whatever. so if i just go with a mATX z77 board and the i3 i can get by until mid/late 2014 and DDR4 has taken over. then the mATX combo can move into a HTPC.